Chapter 3: Why are we threatened?

At the end of the hallway, there were three separate connecting passages that seemed to lead to other buildings.
Three men stood blocking each passage.

The walls of the passages beyond the men were covered in talismans, creating an eerie atmosphere.

“Then, the lady will come this way.”

“By myself?”

Chayeon asked with a puzzled look.

“Yes, there will be an individual examination.”

The woman explained in a clear tone.

The word ‘examination’ had an unsettling nuance.

‘Is this okay?’

[I don’t know.]

‘You’re a really useless b*stard.’

As he was hesitating, a man who had been standing on the other side approached Namyeon and was guiding him away.

“Then, the gentleman will come this way.”

“Ah, yes. See you later, Chayeon.”

Namyeon waved at Chayeon and followed the man without any suspicion.

“…Didn’t you say you were going to follow me as my guardian earlier?”

Chayeon, with a dumbfounded look, watched Namyeon’s back as he walked away, and then followed the woman into the opposite passage.

Clack-

After being led through the connecting passage to a room at the end of the hallway, Chayeon heard an unfamiliar metallic sound as soon as he entered. He felt the sensation of something cold and hard on the back of his head.

“…?”

“Don’t move. If you show even the slightest suspicious movement, I will shoot.”

The woman said in a monotonous voice like a machine.

Only then did Chayeon realize what the sensation on the back of his head was.

‘Could this woman be pointing a gun at me?’

An unimaginable thing was happening in 21st century Korea.

Well, the things that had been happening since yesterday were by no means realistic, but he never thought he would be threatened with his life.

“…What are you suddenly doing?”

Chayeon’s voice, as he said that, was strangely higher than usual.

While his body was stiff with the unfamiliar situation, two men appeared from beyond the wall in front.

Both were holding long blades.

‘F*ck, I’m screwed.’

He knew it was a very dangerous situation, even if he didn’t know what was going on.

[Why are we being threatened?]

‘How would I know if you don’t know, you b*stard.’

He shouted that inwardly at Heukgu’s stupid words.

“Calmly reveal your identity.”

The woman said in a voice dripping with coldness.

“I don’t know what to say even if you ask who I am. My name is Jeon Chayeon, and I’m twenty years old.”

“Don’t try to buy time with nonsense. How did you find out about Jindal and come here?”

He hadn’t done anything wrong, but he was suddenly being treated like this.

He wanted to punch her in the face, but if he did that with a gun pointed at his head, he would only die in vain.

“I never thought I’d have to explain the situation in this kind of situation. Okay, so what happened was,”

As he opened his mouth to explain the situation, Heukgu interrupted.

[Hide the fact about me.]

‘What are you suddenly talking about? Why should I?’

[Just don’t mention the word ‘Heukgumiho’. I’ll explain it later. For now, refrain from mentioning me.]

‘F*ck, then how am I supposed to explain it?’

When Chayeon tried to speak but suddenly closed his mouth, the woman roughly pushed his head with the gun.

“Don’t play tricks and tell the truth.”

‘…Is this actually some kind of criminal organization’s hideout?’

He didn’t want to die in a place like this, so he quickly racked his brain, but he couldn’t think of any other excuses.

He was told to hide about ‘Heukgumiho’, so wouldn’t it be okay if he didn’t mention that word?

Chayeon decided to speak as close to the truth as possible.

As concisely as possible.

“Yesterday, some kind of spirit entered my body. That spirit told me that I’m a person with supernatural powers now, so I should go to the academy called Jindal. So I came here, so can you please take the gun off my head. You b*tch.”

As soon as he said it, he realized he had made a mistake. He had unknowingly spoken without a filter at the end.

“A crude excuse.”

“Is he a low-level demon who doesn’t know much about spirits?”

The two men in front, who had been watching silently, opened their mouths.

“…It’s not an excuse, it’s the truth.”

Chayeon, who had said everything as it was, except for mentioning the word Heukgumiho, felt wronged.

“It seems you have no intention of telling the truth. We will dispose of you.”

He could feel the woman about to pull the trigger. Chayeon said urgently.

“No, f*ck. It’s the truth. I’m telling you, a spirit told me to go here.”

“It is impossible for a spirit dwelling in a person’s body to convey their intentions in that way. Moreover, if a spirit really dwelled in you, you wouldn’t even be able to stand right now.”

There were often people who gained supernatural powers and found out about Jindal’s existence on their own.

Seo Yeonju, who managed the entry and exit of Jindalmok, brought them here, to a place with a barrier that suppressed their abilities.

It was a kind of test.

To see if they were really people who had gained supernatural powers and came to find them, or if they were beings with some other purpose.

The three passages each had different roles, but this place in particular was connected to the unique senses of the spirit in the body.

Those who had been trained within the academy would know, but if they were really people who had just received a spirit yesterday, as the girl said, it was normal for them to lose their balance and fall.

‘Of course, if this girl’s spirit corresponds to the Seven Divine Pillars, the story would be different.’

The woman erased the thought that came to her mind.

That couldn’t be.

All of the Seven Divine Pillars were safe and sound.

A girl of unknown identity who suddenly came to try to enter the academy.

She claimed that a spirit dwelled in her, but it was clearly a lie.

Moreover, her appearance was surprisingly outstanding.

She possessed both cuteness and charm, as if she was born to fascinate people.

There was a high possibility that she was a demon trying to infiltrate the academy.

Even if she wasn’t a demon, it was certain that she was hiding something.

It was a disturbing time.

She recalled the instruction that the decision was left to her discretion.

Let’s dispose of her.

The woman tried to pull the trigger without hesitation.

Thwack-

However, before the trigger could be pulled, the gun suddenly flew into the air as if something had pushed it up.

“Huh?”

While the woman was flustered, the men in front reacted quickly.

They judged that the demon had begun to respond and tried to rush forward with their swords.

However, their bodies did not move, as if they had become solid stones.

“Keuk, so you were a demon after all. You’re using strange abilities.”

Chayeon was dumbfounded as the two men glared at him.

“I didn’t do anything.”

“I did it.”

A voice was heard from above his head.

When he looked up, there was a woman floating in the air who hadn’t been there just a moment ago.

“I’m sorry, I forcibly stopped your movements. It seemed to me that you were all judging too hastily.”

The woman who had pointed the gun was startled when she saw that scene and said.

“Se, Teacher Seohee.”

“Yeonju-ssi, it’s been a while.”

The woman came down from the air and landed on the ground.

“I’m sorry to interfere with your work. But it doesn’t seem to me that this child is lying.”

As the woman gestured, the men whose bodies had been stiffened staggered and fell down comically.

The woman called Yeonju said with a protesting tone.

“But if a spirit really dwelled in her yesterday, there’s no way she could be standing straight in here.”

“That’s right. We’ll have to find out about that later. But it’s certain that this child isn’t lying.”

The blue eyes of the woman called Seohee sparkled as they reflected the light.

Seeing that scene, the woman called Yeonju quickly lowered her head with a look of realization.

“If Teacher Seohee says so, then it must be right. I think I was hasty.”

Leaving the woman who had lowered her head behind, Seohee stood in front of Chayeon.

Chayeon’s red eyes were widened like a rabbit’s eyes.

“Would you leave this girl to me?”

“I understand. I will register her in the access list.”

The woman lowered her head even deeper.

Meanwhile, Chayeon couldn’t take his eyes off her since Seohee had appeared.

Ash-colored hair reminiscent of burnt ashes.

Blue eyes with a faint reddish eyeshadow.

Gold earrings on both ears.

Even the white shirt that revealed a glamorous body that you would believe if she said she was a model.

He hadn’t misseen it earlier.

Chayeon unknowingly opened his mouth.

“Bookstore noona?”

At those words, Seohee tilted her head.

She scrutinized the face of the girl in front of her, whom she was seeing for the first time.

Then she widened her eyes.

“‘Bookstore noona’? Could you be Chayeon?”